1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image filing apparatus for storing an image to a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an image filing apparatus for storing and searching for image data manages the attributes of the image data of a read original, such as the reading resolution, reading size, reading gradation and the like thereof, as well as a plurality of image data together with the image data of the original as a group and further constructs a database by adding to them searching keywords such as document name, document number registered data and the like, and manages the database unitarily.
However, as to the store of the image of an original, the image is fetched by a scanner after a keyword as described above is input or a desired image is printed after a corresponding document is retrieved by inputting a keyword and the document is confirmed by being displayed on a display unit or the like in the operation of the image filing apparatus.
However, since a keyword which is to be used thereafter must be input when an image is stored in the above arrangement, there is the problem that operability is greatly restricted.
Further, when an input keyword is forgotten or its classification is ambiguous, since a desired document cannot be specified unless all the documents are displayed eventually, the problem arises in that the searching job is troublesome.
In addition, since a storing operation is completely different from a searching operation, there is also the problem that the operations are very difficult to understand and liable to become complex and the apparatus is liable to be occupied by only one operator.
To cope with the above problems, U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,157 and the like propose to simplify the searching operation in such a manner that search sheets corresponding to documents stored to a storage medium are created in a one to one relationship and output from a printer so that the searching operation is simplified by using the search sheet when an image is to be searched without the need of inputting a specific keyword when an image is stored.
However, when the search sheet cannot be output because papers are not available in a printer or because of other reasons after the completion of the store of an image, the apparatus is occupied by only one operator until papers are replenished and the output of the search sheet is completed. Further, when the output operation is stopped to release the occupation of the apparatus, there arises the problem that a search sheet corresponding to the stored document is not output.